User blog:FateAlbane/Jack of All Tropes - Big Iron 5
There's always room for one's life to get worse... But there's not always room in their minds to keep caring. This will cover all tropes found in the 5th session of Big Iron. To the brave and the petrified, we all fall down. To the slave and the civilized, we all fall down. To the lovers we left behind... The bad days, the good nights... In the Great Shipwreck of Life, we all fall down! (EDIT: Mostly done.) From Amethyst's Intro So much for Stealth/Useless Useful Stealth - Amethyst's very first appearance has her trying to sneak-up in the party, only for her to be immediately noticed by pretty much everyone. Fragile Speedster - Has by far the highest Nimbility out of the whole party. Maxed out, in fact. The tradeoff is being one of, if not the most fragile physically wise. This allows her to initially succeed in escaping the whole party, despite how she was seen by everyone. Her magical prowess is also quite high, which makes her also be a squishy wizard to some degree. Street Urchin - This is her archetype. Being still a child when she meets the party and one living in the streets, she had survived so far by stealing and her first encounter with the group is trying to steal some belongings from them (likely to get herself some food). The Artful Dodger - Subverted. Amethyst's very first appearance does lead one to believe she may be this, but her backstory shows that she ended up in the streets by circumstances entirely beyond her control and she is presented as having a more difficult life than an enjoyable one. Touched by Vorlons - Though just like Ino it's not quite specified as of yet... Like other Ether-Scarred, she would have had bad (or otherwise shocking) experiences relating to Rogue Spirits or the soul and the like in order to attain her powers. Orphan's Ordeal - The "less than pleasant" sides to her backstory are this. Amethyst's mother died of an illness when she was at an early age so the little girl doesn't remember much about her. As for her father, her life with him was mostly happy despite some financial problems... Until he too, lost his life (under unknown circumstances). She was left to fend for herself in the streets and using her powers to steal was her sole method of survival. Extra-ore-Dinary - She can manipulate metallic things and first demonstrates this power by raising her hand... To steal the whole group of one thing or another, including Hope's revolver. Ashes to Ashes - Of the gaseous variation with her ability to manipulate smoke at will. Bandit Mook - Elly confuses Amethyst for being this (under Jill's orders), for a moment. Dramatic Necklace Removal - Ino *barely* manages to avoid this trope by holding onto his necklace to the best of his ability, when Amethyst tries to take it away (among other things) with her powers. Harmless Freezing - While it does work when it comes to capturing Amethyst, Elly's freezing of her doesn't leave any notable damage in the girl. Justified to an extent since the latter had no intention whatsoever to hurt her and didn't dedicate any mana into the attack - of which the main intent was just to capture. Smoke Out - This is done as a part of Amethyst's attempt to escape from the party. It works at first but then leads to her capture anyways, given the amount of people she was trying to leave behind with this... Nervous Wreck - What she induces on Hope by stealing and running away with the latter's revolver. Instant Ice: Just Add Cold! - This is how Amethyst is stopped. Justified since it was Magical Ice. Incredibly Lame Pun - Elly's own "Freeze!" and then "You need to chill!" borrowed from Jill as the situation listed above happens. Little Miss Con Artist - This is what she tries pulling on the party at first. Hard to notice at first but played for drama in hindsight - judging by her looks, poor thing hadn't even eaten anything for days. Recruited from the Gutter - Despite being robbed, most of the party members (and Elly, of all people) actually advocate for Amethyst and accept the idea of taking her along and out of the streets instead of doing anything harmful to her. Ahuatzi even gives her something to eat. Before one may know it, she was already a part of the team... For the better and the worse, given their luck. Thou shalt not Kill - As per the philosophy that her father has taught her: "A man shouldn't kill another man. All life is valuable." and this is something she holds true to this day. Mortality Phobia - A rare case where she is scared/doesn't deal well with death in general as opposed to her own. Let's just say the reaction she gets from it isn't pleasant for Amethyst in the slightest. Bystander Syndrome - Some mix of this with Apathetic Citizens happens as the party and Amethyst cause somewhat of a scene. Which is a good thing for the group - at least it isn't a bunch of ungrateful jerks like before. Justified to some degree (with said justification being both foreshadowed and lampshaded in meta), since magic users are everywhere anyways so people probably didn't have much reason to care... Until Jill's Mook came along, raining fire from the skies. So Unfunny, it's Funny - Ahuatzi himself lampshades this when he tries to make a joke about how Amethyst should consider herself lucky that she didn't end up with her legs being broken. Considering how he is the last party member who would possibly consider doing something of the like, he promptly adds: Death from Above - This is how Jill's Strongmook makes his entrance. Many party members manage to evade his giant blast of heat (Amethyst included), but others like Elly, Hope and Magnum are caught in the wave of fire and suffer severe damage. Mass "Oh, Crap!" - A serious one is shared by the party and the crowd when Jill's Giant Mook enters the scene and she shows up once more. Giant Mook - The Strongman introduced here. Complete with another mook squad immediately showing up to pick the fight from where it was left, once he falls. Other than that, with a 15 (maxed) Physicality and a 10 in magic, he was definitely packing the defense and firepower to wear the party out so other mooks could finish the job. Man on Fire - Remember that background crowd mentioned in the Bystander Syndrome trope? A bunch of them go from that, to this trope once the aforementioned Death from Above happens. They aren't the only ones, though: The blast is powerful enough to make the ground vitrify. Wowing Cthulhu - A twist on this trope. Having in the past always wanted someone to recognize her for her efforts and feel like she mattered more than just being a colorless part of the background crowd (to make it better said, to feel that her life had meaning).... This is by now, what Elly got from Jill, though what comes from this attention and said "meaning" isn't at all what she dreamed it would be like. I am the Noun - YOU CAN'T BURN ME, I *AM *THE HEAT - Courtesy of Magnum. Even as she actually is burning. Out of the Inferno - The Strongman does this, after standing in the center of the blast caused by his own attack... Completely unfazed by the explosion or collateral damage from the fire. And though damaged, he does it *again* after Magnum fires laser death at him. Loud Gulp - What Ino does once the Strongman appears ready for battle and Jill makes her presence be known once more. Meanwhile, Amethyst herself is seen shivering because of the feeling of death, despite the heat. Punch Catch - The battle starts with the Strongman doing this to Ahuatzi's strongest mana-infused punch. To quote the narrative: Excuse me while I multitask - After parrying his punch, the Strongman simply shoves Ahuatzi out of the way and backhands Amethyst's attack out of the way without much of an effort on performing the second task. Definitely this trope at play, given the dialogue that ensues. Which is troperiffic, by the way. Career-Ending Injury - What Hope's player "planned on giving" (thus, invoked for laughs in meta) to the aforementioned boss, with her bullets. Major Injury Underreaction - Usually Ether-Scarred can do this to some extent or another, but notorious here in Magnum's case. After initially falling victim to the burning blast, she gets up and begins her counter-attack right after. Justified since super powers and resistance to pain, after all. Subverted later down the road, though: She gets nearly killed by another attack from the mook squad and comes close to incapacitation. How much more can he Take? - Discussed in meta, where the players actually start calculating damage done, the Strongman's stats and corresponding health to "guesstimate" how much more he may still take from the party before falling. Everyone calls him "Strongman" - He had no name given, so everyone just calls him Strongman. Which actually works, given his stat distribution and way of fighting... Sooooo. Ominous Walk - This is what Jill does as she takes her sweet time in walking up to Elly and Marty. In fact, she does it patiently enough for all of the remaining party members to trade blows with her mook before she gets to the point of speaking. I control my Minions through... - Authority, Obligation, Corruption, Fear, Loyalty, Revenge and (ultimately) Power are all on the "list of reasons why" many different mooks that Jill has employed thus far are following her. Jill lampshades it, too. Flash Step - Done twice in sucession. The strongman does this as a counter to Hope when she takes a deep breath after surviving the initial attack and prepares her own. Then Hope herself does it, preventing the worst from happening and averting a certain trope in the process. Anti-Magic - What Jill does when Elly tries to use her powers for basically anything this time around. Grapple Move - The Strongman tries to pull one of those against Ahuatzi. He does escape, but his counter punch ends up being no-sold all the same. More Dakka - Magnum's Fire Sign Shine consists of throwing Fire Danmaku at the enemy and is straight from the Bullet Hell that is Touhou. Depleted Phlebotinum Shells - Hope's main method of attacking consists of this: Reinforcing and increasing the efficiency of otherwise normal bullets (by infusing them with Mana in this case). Thus, they achieve just as much power as the magical attacks of any other party member. Just Hit Him - What Ino does to obliterate the enemy before his Soul Power can bring him back to life is subvert this trope. After several displays of magic, explosions and bullets, Ino runs up to the Strongman with a mana-infused fist and strikes, reducing the soul to naught. Theme Music Power-Up - Ino gets Coercion playing for him as his attack finally finishes off the Strongman. Actually Four Mooks - The Strongman seems to be a single unit boss fight, but as soon as he goes down, several other mooks from his team join the fray all at once. Tear Jerker - Ahuatzi's death situation as a whole, in-verse and one might say, even on a meta level. Please, wake up - Elly's whole reaction to the above is this. She actually knows healing won't work but is desperate to the point of not even being able to rationalize the situation, clinging to a "miracle" which never comes, long past the end (given how rationalizing was her modus operandi for pretty much everything, this tells volumes about how much she was sinking in this moment). Session 5 - Fall cometh. Out of Focus - Billy has been pretty much retconned by now as a result of his perpetual case of this. In-Universe Catharsis - Magnum goes through some of this after being done with the Rouge Spirits who attacked the party. Clothing Damage - Downplayed and subverted. Elly restores the damage that her dress suffered almost immediately after the battle ends. Break The Cutie - Ino subverts the trope so far (although he too is seen losing sense of hope at certain points in the story, he's been managing to recover). Elly plays it straight, finally goes through Phase 3 and gets pushed past the Despair Event Horizon by the end of this. What results of it is not quite as cute. Angst - An abundance of it to be seen, this time around. Cope by Creating - Ino has been seen carving a wooden memento ever since the party went through the start of their darker times and has been doing it even as a number of members are lost. Too Soon - Elly avoids raising any talk about Rick's words in light of what just happened to Dufresne. Downer Beginning - If you consider the session by itself, considering how Jill appears almost immediately in sequence with the battle in session 4 and proceeds to show the party's efforts amount to nothing in her presence once again. Lampshaded/Invoked by Hob and Elly. Due to the Dead - Ino takes Duf's gun and belongings as a memento/to keep protecting the party even after he's gone, while Elly initially leaves but then makes a prayer for him, hoping for him to find peace in the afterlife if there's any waiting for him. Ahem - Magnum sort of does this right before reminding the party that it's best for them to get back in the wagon, and the road. Death Glare - As one would expect, there can't be a session where Jill appears without this trope being present. Especially when throwing glares is the most anyone can do to her. Being Watched - Once in the wagon, the party feels something - in this case, Jill - is watching them before she actually reveals herself. The Dreaded - Ino's (very much justified) reaction to Jill qualifies her for this. The narrative also labeled her the party's worst nightmare at some point. Correctly, anyways. Hope Crusher - Jill needs no explanation on the why for this anymore. Immune to Bullets - Once again for Jill, as Magnum's shot proves about as efficient as Marty's bullets had been the other day. If anything, the bullet is what's flattened against the target. Dead to begin With - Lampshaded (sorta, for laughs) in meta when Jill says Magnum has a temper considering how she killed a Rogue Spirit in cold blood but then it's pointed that those are dead to begin with, to which it's said that they died anyways since they don't exist anymore now. Sir Swears-A-Lot - As tropes in the previous blogs and sessions might make one think, this trope becomes one of Magnum's "main weapons", whenever enemies are around or fighting is happening. Granted she still invokes it every now and then out of these situations but it's to a far lesser extent. Force Choke - Magnum gets this treatment from Jill almost immediately since this time around she wasn't in the mood to take any of the aforementioned temper. Doubles up with The Paralyzer later and some more shout-outs with "Sith-Lightning" to experience the FULL POWAH of the Dark Side. Sadist - Other than pretty much everything else she does, Jill gets a smile characteristic of this while the aforementioned situation happens at Magnum's expense. Healing Hands - While technically the whole party has this, Ino is the one who is seen doing it to others the most. This time around, he did it to Magnum twice. The first one being after she was attacked by Jill. Later, he does it again in battle when she is almost killed by one of the "Circus of Evil" performers. Ahuatzi gets this done to him by Elly as well, when Jill drains him to the point of falling over. Can't kill you, still need You - Lampshaded by Jill herself when she doesn't actually kill Magnum and stops the shock and awe before anything happens to the wagon and the others. As she is questioned by Marty, she reiterates they "need the transport if they are to be chased down". You have outlived your Usefulness - ...The natural result of the above trope being subverted in Ahuatzi's case. And if his death was by any chance the final phase of a despair gambit, let it be known that it worked very well, the main target is well aware and doesn't quite give a damn about it. Your approval fills me with Shame - Averted. Elly is well aware that sides to her behaviour are akin to Jill's. When she approves of the sight and lampshades it, Elly replies that "It tends to take a monster to kill another" as opposed to being bothered in any manner. She also tries shocking Jill all the same, with end results getting her nothing but a second dose of villainous face hold (and a third later on). Evil Counterpart - After going through one too many Not so Different moments, Jill finally invokes this trope in no uncertain terms for Elly. Terms of Endangerment - Invoked by both Elly and Jill, with the former cynically calling her a "senpai"/veteran and telling her not to get attached, while the latter answers in kind with her own (<<< keyword here) way. Not to mention how Jill often gives Elly a friendly, lovely and heartwarming villainous face hold while talking to her. Tarnishing their Own Beauty - What Marty does in response to Jill trying to pull the same kind of sadistic choice she did in session 3. Played for drama but not permanent since that trope is also in effect. Tranquil Fury - Hob has reached this state towards Jill by now. As opposed to his berserker tendencies in battle, he remains cool sounding as he speaks to her and does not seem even angry by her presence or words as opposed to the battle before. Baddie Flattery - Jill has taken a liking to this trope, albeit a good part of it is done sarcastically. Like in the case of her would be combat compliment towards Hob: Finger Muzzle - An uncommon case where Jill follows the intention of the trope properly, but places the finger on her own lips as opposed to Marty's (justified, given the state he was in at the time...). We will meet Again - Elly invokes a rare heroic version this... Though the connotation she uses when saying it and her choice of words "One day, it will be you." give a different and oddly inverted atmosphere to the trope. Angrish - Magnum's speech is reduced to angrily screaming profanities and nothing else when Jill leaves, having given the party their daily dose of humiliation. Cathartic Exhalation - Elly's reaction when Jill leaves and she manages to heal Ahuatzi from the Touch of Death. This is also what Rose does when she gets confirmation that the party will free her, give her food and not do anything harmful. Precious Photo - Marty carries one of these, of him as a child and his father. Unwitting Pawn - Lampshaded to be the whole party's situation when Ahuatzi mentions how he is like a hostage constantly used against the group and Elly asks him not to finish the sentence, as everyone is being used in varying ways... And the only way is to keep going until a chance to turn the tables happens. Not that it looks like it ever will, though (see "Super Losers," Underdogs (Alwa---I mean,) never Lose" and "Yank the Dog's chain"). Achilles in his Tent - Marty in his Wagon. Persistently pushing the party away is also what pushes the team into the near state of separation and eventually into the point where Jill reappears *again* and says what may be summarized into a "Yeah, no", killing Ahuatzi in the process, partially reinforcing what happens if they don't play by her rules. So, nice job breaking it, hero. Please kill me if it satisfies you - Deconstructed. Marty tries this towards Elly while they argue - it's not done out of any sense of regret or apology, though. It's done as an answer to him getting an armor-piercing slap moments before. She does not like the idea and implications in the slightest, actually deciding to end the discussion when even Ahuatzi of all people lampshades it enough to punch Marty. Friendship Denial - Not with the exact words, but Marty did enough of this at this point to put Dufresne's own declaration to shame, given how he legitimately wanted the party to leave on top of the previous problems they had, amidst all of them still being threatened by Jill and trying to stick/fight together for their lives. You never did that for Me - More like a "You never did that for Us", uttered by Elly. When Ahuatzi finally gets enough of it and punches Marty, she puts her hand in his shoulder and reminds him of the words she had been taught by him. Breaking the Fellowship - What was about to happen as a result of the party deciding to go their separate ways from Marty. But then Jill happened, again. Either way, as Ahuatzi best puts it... Revenge - Pretty much the main driving force of most of the remaining party members. Just for Fun - According to herself, Magnum's original reason for joining is that the journey looked and sounded like it would be fun. It's all about Me - Lampshaded by Elly towards Marty, all while also accusing her past self of this in heroic self-deprecation. You make me sick - Comes in as a part of Elly's "The Reason you Suck" speech when she gets bothered/tired enough to get it all out of her system. Up to eleven as she says said way of living sickens her even more than Jill. In Rick fashion, a mention of the misery poker the entire party went through also comes along. Though surprisingly, there wasn't any sarcasm about it. Backhanded Apology - Given the things that the whole party has endured, and some of them because of his behaviour to begin with... "Oh my God, poor little Marty he's had it soooooooo rough." is the answer he gets when complaining about the party and how he's stuck with them. Heartwarming Moments - Though quite rare on this session, Ino comforting Magnum as she is on the verge of crying remembering Scarlet's death qualifies for this. Like an Old Married Couple - Played straight by Magnum (generates some laughs in meta, while in-verse her remark is fully ignored by both sides of the discussion). Cassandra Truth - According to Marty, telling of his actual past gets this reaction from others. Like Father, like Son - Marty has been getting a lot of this trope implied from others... Sometimes for better, other times for worse. Shooting lessons from your parents - In Marty's own words, his father taught him everything he knows, including how to fight/shoot. That is, until he eventually got killed, himself. This comes off as a part of some light being she on his own dark and troubled past. Skyward Scream - Done by Magnum once Jill finally departs for the first time, and later done again by Hob upon witnessing Ahuatzi's death as he was not strong enough to prevent it either (despite arriving barely in time for the battle that was taking place). The only One - Marty defies this trope when he says that as long as there are others in his line of work, it doesn't matter if he dies. Elly denies it by saying how, despite there being others out there, he was still the only one at that day - and also the only person whose name those townsfolk were speaking of. Heavy Sleeper - As a result of Story and Gameplay segregation (aka, Hope's player didn't arrive until then), Hope slept through the whole of the above situation. Including Jill's attack, the arguing and Marty's past being told. You are too Late - Hob's subverted Big Damn Heroes moment. As said above, he does arrive before the battle comes to an end but too late to stop what had already began... And ultimately, he only succeeds in witnessing Ahuatzi's death like every other party member. Personality Superpowers - This session marks the first time Elly shifts more towards Ice Manipulation. Incidentally, it's also the one where she echoes Jill's words while using it and the one where she settles down in a very dark shade of the Ice Queen archetype by the end of it. The Strongman - Jill's next "Giant Mook-type" henchman. I want them Alive - Elly is immediately locked out of the ensuing fight and unable to do anything about it but watch as the worst comes to pass. On the other hand, Jill tells her Mook to leave her be - in contrast to doing whatever he damn wants to the others. Badass Mustache - As a circus performer, the aforementioned boss sports one of these. To ascertain that he was indeed a powerful foe in his own right, he took the party on single-handedly and provided a great challenge in his own right, whereas the other attackers from the circus had to strike as a team against an already worn-out party. Comically Missing the Point - When Jill asks the party where Strongmen come from, Hope confuses the question for where do "strong men" (as in, people) come from. A few others do miss Jill's point, but Hope's answer is the most fun, given the situation. Repulsive Ringmaster - After the Strongman is defeated, Jill calls forth for a bunch of other enemies from the circus to join the fray. Among them is the circus ringmaster, complete with a monocle and armed with a whip. Attack Animal /Beast of Battle - Among the group of circus attackers, there was a Lion with powers and abilities comparable to an Ether scarred. Now, that's using your teeth! - Now that I mention it, said Lion actually caught one of Hope's bullets with its teeth, too! Blasting Time - Magnum tries makes the enemies have a taste of this with her Manacannon Burning Passion, an absolutely huge white laser of death aimed at all enemies. It works to some extent... Until one of them manages to not only evade but counter for devastating damage. She is slammed in the ground, her bones are not quite happy about it and she finally reaches her limit, nearly dying in the process. Oh, Crap! - Admittedly, the meta reaction a number of players get when the Circus of Fear strikes immediately after the Strongman fight. But also expressed in-verse by Hope once Magnum, too, falls. So Last Season - Ino's Cannonball move that had worked so well to this point is easily avoided by the enemy via the power of dice. Blow you Away - The acrobats use this manipulation. It's also the element they employ to finally give Ahuatzi the death blow. The aftermath of said attack is not quite pretty. "I can't look!" gesture - What Amethyst's reaction to the above is, as she looks away and keeps repeating to herself not to look. Eventually done by Elly, too, as she sinks her face in the ground and closes her eyes, begging for it to be a nightmare so she can wake up. Finger Gun - The non-comedic version of the trope is the gesture Marty makes when firing the attack that settles the battle. Though once again, everyone would be left asking "at what price"? One could take some solace in knowing that at least it ended all the remaining enemies and was Marty's own moment of "Wowing Cthulhu". Now read the trope below. Doomed Moral Victor - Ahuatzi to the very end does keep fighting and maintains his way of living. However, said beliefs are used for the opposite end result, with his resistance reaping naught but his own death and a massive sense of loss to the party. To make it worse, his final words actually make his end hurt more to the ones involved. Worse still, it was an accidental case of friendly fire that ultimately destroyed his soul. He did maintain the title of being the character with an undoubtedly pure spirit in the plot but... Given what came from his death, this trope is zigzagged at best, subverted at worst. Incorruptible Pure Pureness - Ahuatzi, to the very bitter end. Too Good for this Sinful Earth - Foreshadowed since session 3 for Ahuatzi, comes to pass on this one. All According to Plan - All of the above worked perfectly fine for Jill to once again make her point across and for the party to fail horribly. Nothing new here. Spotlight Stealing Squad - Elly is accused of this after the session, which leads to the narrative and her player (that would be me) agreeing to leave her out of focus for the most part in the next session. There is some irony here in that the "focus" she gets is definitely not the kind she would be happy about... And even then, in session 5, she spent a large chunk of it doing and saying nothing by virtue of being immediately pinned to the ground and left to watch while the other party members fought. Creator Backlash - Though a fair amount of time was invested on Elly's character, she gets this from her creator to some extent by virtue of her getting more views and general attention than anything I created for my own stories which I dedicated much more effort in structuring, giving me more "mixed feelings" than any firm sense of accomplishment. Super Loser - We have a whole party of those, in one way or another. Not seeing rainbows when adding it either but the Failure Hero and that Yank the Dog's Chain down there don't lie. Other than being the closest to the base of the verse's "food chain" when it comes to power, the team is consistently unable to solve anything themselves (to illustrate this, they were at some point overwhelmed and made to run even by people with no kind of power whatsoever by virtue of being tired), never seems to solve anything on their own (even in this session, it took Marty sacrificing a chunk of his soul to solve the deal with Jill's Mooks) and generally speaking tend to be weaker sounding than pretty much everything else in the setting - sans normal humans (without numbers and guns, that is). And their collective best also doesn't amount to anything worth mentioning by the end of the day in comparison to what the story throws at them. They also tend to be the designated target of that one trope where they try their collective best and someone dies anyway. Not to mention that one other thing. And there are still two more tropes expanding on the whys for this - see Failure hero and Yank the Dog's Chain below. To quote the wise words of a certain Golden Witch, this is what the narrative has summarized the main team to be. All for Nothing - Ahuatzi's efforts to unite the team as a whole. Worse than that, they were used against him and the party and weaponized to produce the opposite effect by Jill. Not to mention that the circumstances of his death are the last straw that sends Elly (whom he had helped the most) plummeting through the Despair Event Horizon. The party's efforts to defeat Jill's mooks also end up as this, with them being simply overwhelmed by their numbers and being worn-out, Ahuatzi dying and Marty sacrificing a part of his soul but obliterating Ahuatzi's as well. Go out with a Smile - Despite everything, Ahuatzi still ends like this. Obi-Wan Moment - Before the conclusion with the aforementioned smile, Ahuatzi takes a good moment to direct his last words to the party and tell the others of his past (and how his time with the party during the last few weeks has been the best experience of his life). And of course... Evil Stole my Faith - As it can be seen here and there in previous sessions, Elly is seen praying on occasion even amidst the journey. She also prays this time around, in the hopes that Dufresne is welcomed for a good afterlife. ...After the events on this one and crying Ahuatzi's death, however, her death speech changes entirely. As per meta confirmation, by now she believes that a representative of Divine will and/or Fate does exist, but also that said being is a Jerk or simply does not care at all. Considering what the powers that be are all about, it's tragicomic how she is kind of right. And yes, Ligerheart, this song does apply to her now. You should have died instead - Elly's definitive reaction towards a (now with confused memories) Marty, since on top of all that led to this point, it was his attack that destroyed Ahuatzi's soul as well - regardless of his intentions when firing it. Triggered by him actually trying to comfort her with a hug, which only makes it worse in her eyes given their story thus far and how the situation was partly to blame on him trying to shove the party away, as Jill herself lampshades. Broken Aesop - In this setting, things such as fighting for the good of others, the world and such makes one develop magic faster... Now read all the other tropes around, look at the party's circumstances, Ahuatzi's end and take a moment to question if the actual narrative is concerned with conveying this kind of message at all as opposed to breaking it to pieces whenever someone tries to even consider evoking it. Underdogs Never Lose - *literally falls in the floor laughing* ...Averted and deconstructed so hard, it might reality warp this trope's name into "Underdogs always lose". And don't expect to see any Champions on the Inside kind of thing going on either. Every next loss is more crushing, humiliating or heart rending for the party members than the former and attempts to say otherwise in-verse are cut short all the same. Not convinced? Read the two tropes below. Failure Hero - What the party is amounting to by now. And saying in advance, but it still carries over to session 6 where Elly finally lampshades it quite obviously. (On a personal note, this trope's near Omnipresence is the cause behind what is now something akin to Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy in my head.) See below. Yank the Dog's Chain - Pretty much everything the party does amounts to this by the end of the day. Barely defeated the Chungus? Run away for their lives otherwise the ungrateful townsfolk riddle them with bullets. Getting closer to each other? Jill murders Scarlet and ruins them psychologically. Try to fight back? Doesn't work, the cavalry is fully responsible for getting them out of the way. And they also arrived late as hell, considering a chunk of the worst had already come to pass. Defeated the enemies that are threatening their lives? Doesn't matter, it's well within Jill's plans and they are also now implied to be "just as evil" by the narrative. Also, Jill appears and shows once again that they amount to nothing in face of her. Defeated the Strongman boss? Another whole set of mooks attacks the worn-out party immediately. Have this one party member who happens to be an "Emotional Crutch"/The Heart to the party? Wait and watch as he dies via another aversion of Mook Chivalry without you being able to do anything about it. Marty finally ends up being the one to end said enemies? He's also had to tear out a chunk of his soul for it, his thoughts/memories are confused and now you're set up for even more failure on session 6, in advance. Figuring out why the party doubtlessly has the Failure Hero label complete with a medal and honorable mention, yet? Screw this, I'm outta here - A meta-example is being more invoked and lampshaded as time passes, as a result of the two tropes above. Guess by who. Category:Blog posts